Inside: How I surprised my husband with a whiskey-themed weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. This quick weekend getaway is the BEST gift for Bourbon Lovers!
My husband is a huge fan of whiskey of all sorts but has a special place in his heart for bourbon. And for his 40th birthday, I wanted to do something epic. And one of my favorites things to do is to plan a themed getaway, like the time I surprised him with a Speakeasy-themed “Vintage Glam” weekend in Cleveland or the time I surprised him a Food & Wine Lovers’ weekend in Lake County. So I asked my friend Mark (or as he’s nicknamed himself, Whiskey_Mark) for some recommendations. And Mark mentioned this gorgeous bed and breakfast in Louisville, Kentucky that he loved to visit with his wife.
So of course, I checked it out.
And you guys. It was exactly what I was looking for! Chateau Bourbon is the #1 rated Bed and Breakfast in Kentucky, and the owners, Missy and John Hillock are so fun and knowledgable about bourbon. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your bourbon lover – look no further.
Their entire 5,000 sq ft bed and breakfast has a delightful bourbon theme and we loved the beautiful and relaxing space. Chateau Bourbon is located in the Norton Commons neighborhood and I absolutely love the location. You are just steps away from great dining and shopping. We walked to dinner each night of our stay and took a post-dinner stroll after.
If you’ve been following along our adventures, you already know that my husband and I are huge foodies. And the 3-course Southern breakfast each morning was absolutely divine. Every morning, we were welcomed with fresh coffee and juice and our first course – a bourbon granola, served with your choice of yogurt, milk, or almond milk, and topped with delicious drunken cherries.
Following this course, we were served something savory, like sausage or bacon, and these cheddar scrambled eggs. I don’t know if you can tell from my photo, but there’s this spectacular spice that Missy sprinkled on top of our cheddar scrambled eggs and my husband loved it SO MUCH that he begged her to tell him what it was, and then immediately ordered it off Amazon before we got up from the breakfast table.
He uses it every time he makes eggs now.
And then we were served a sweet dish for our third and final course. Like a fluffy stack of pancakes or Bananas Foster French toast, both accompanied by a bourbon-laced maple syrup!
As if that’s not already enough food, John and Missy feature a delicious happy hour each evening, complete with a cocktail and bourbon-laced dessert. Even better than the tasty treats is the chance to sit down and relax and chat with Missy and John. We took our cocktails out on the porch each evening and sat in the large swings and just talked about bourbon and traveling and food and had a blast.
Our Kentucky Bourbon Tour
I had made a general itinerary for the weekend, and I had a handful of distilleries that we wanted to visit on our list, including:
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience Stitzel-Weller Distillery
View the website
Angel’s Envy
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Evan Williams Experience
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Kentucky Artisan Distillery & Jefferson’s Bourbon
View the website
I had figured on visiting two distilleries each day but to be honest, we headed to the first one on my list – the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at Stitzel-Weller Distillery and had so much fun that we didn’t want to leave. I think that Southern air got us to slow down and really take our time, because that ended up being the ONLY distillery we visited all weekend! We spent hours there – first taking the tour and learning about the history, followed by a bourbon-tasting class, lots of sampling, a little shopping, and then we headed to the Garden and Gun Club upstairs and ended up staying for a few cocktails.
Stitzel-Weller Distillery Experience
Driving up to the Stitzel-Weller Distillery gave me old school Willy Wonka vibes. The buildings are almost surreal. We checked in for our tour at the gift shop and it was a blast! We toured the distillery, learned about bourbon and whiskey-making and explored their small museum on site.
After our tour, we settled in for a bourbon tasting class!
We took our time, asked a ton of questions, and laughed and sampled delicious bourbon and whiskey. Afterwards, we decided to head up to the Garden & Gun Club and totally fell in love with the vibe. We ended up sitting down for a cocktail and some nibbles.
My Tips for a Kentucky Bourbon Tour:
- It’s a good idea to make a reservation if you’d like to take a bourbon-tasting class or distillery tour because they do fill up fast. I made our reservation weeks in advance and many time slots were already full.
- If you’re not able to get a reservation, it’s helpful to call in and ask about any cancellations or to head in to the gift shop for some shopping and see if they might be able to squeeze you into a tour.
- Also, I would advise you to take your time – remember – you can always come back and check out another distillery! Part of the charm of bourbon is slowing down and sipping and tasting and just taking it all in. Don’t overbook yourself and feel like you need to run all over.
- Please be responsible – have a designated driver or schedule a driver if you are planning on taking more than one tour.
Where to Eat During Your Whiskey Weekend in Louisville, Kentucky
I had a short list of bourbon-themed restaurants to check out, and they all have excellent reviews and delicious-looking menus. If you’re looking for a spot that goes along with your bourbon-themed weekend away, you may want to check out the following:
Charr’d Bourbon Kitchen
View the website
Bourbon Bistro
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Down One Bourbon Bar
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But that Southern air got to me and we ended up taking our time and didn’t want to make any reservations. Instead, my husband and I opted to walk to some nearby restaurants for dinner and I highly recommend both!
Our first night, we walked over to Mercato Italian. We sat outside and enjoyed cocktails, wine, delicious bread and some of the best pasta we’ve ever had!
And our second night, we walked down to Gustavos’s for some Mexican. The service was friendly, the prices just right, and they even had a bourbon-laced margarita on their menu! We were full after our meal, but as we walked around Norton Commons, we noticed some cute ice cream shops. We’ll have to check those out next time!
I really wanted to go all out for my husband’s 40th birthday, so in addition to a bourbon-themed weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, I also wanted to grab some bourbon-themed gifts for him to unwrap. If you have a whiskey and bourbon fan in your life, check out these ideas I found for the best gift for bourbon lovers:
Best Gift for Bourbon Lovers
Handcrafted Bitters – Simple Recipes for Artisanal Bitters
This recipe book includes easy recipes for bitters including a habanero bitters, chocolate bitters, orange-fennel bitters and more!
Check price HERE
Cocktail Smoker Kit
This kit was perfect for my husband and his great love of smoked old fashioneds. The kit included the smoker top, a torch, and 4-different flavored wood chips for smoking.
Check price HERE
Bourbon-soaked Cherries
These cherries are soaked in a brown sugar heritage bourbon and are SO good in manhattans and old fashioneds, not to mention on desserts. Yum.
Check price HERE
Crystal Whiskey Glasses
We already owned a set of these, but if your whiskey-lover doesn’t – these make a GREAT gift.
Check price HERE
Ice Cube Molds
Another great idea is an ice cube mold. My husband loves the round and I prefer the square so this set is perfect – it comes with both shapes!
Check price HERE
We had so much sipping and eating our way through the weekend. I can’t wait to come back!